Ubisoft Toronto

Canadian video game developer and Ubisoft studio

Ubisoft Toronto Inc.

Ubisoft Toronto headquarters in March 2013

Company type| Subsidiary
Industry| Video games
Founded| September 2010; 14 years ago (2010-09)
Founder|

* Jade Raymond
* Alexandre Parizeau
* Maxime Béland

Headquarters|

Toronto

Canada

Key people

| Darryl Long (managing director)

Number of employees

| 600 (2017)
Parent| Ubisoft
Website| toronto.ubisoft.com

Ubisoft Toronto Inc. is a Canadian video game developer and a studio of Ubisoft based in Toronto. The studio was established under Jade Raymond in September 2010. Games developed by Ubisoft Toronto include Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Far Cry 5, Starlink: Battle for Atlas, Far Cry 6, and Watch Dogs Legion.

## History

[edit]

Ubisoft announced in July 2009 that it was establishing a Toronto-based development studio. Yannis Mallat, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Ubisoft Montreal, was to become Ubisoft Toronto's CEO, while the government of Ontario was to invest CA$263 million over a course of 10 years to create up to 800 jobs.[1][2] Unlike other Ubisoft studios, Ubisoft Toronto was immediately allowed to lead development of its games, whereas others start by only supporting larger studios like Ubisoft Montreal, though Ubisoft Toronto also served to support Montreal as part of its initial role as a sister studio.[3][4][5]

By September 2009, Jade Raymond was put in charge of establishing the studio.[2] Most of the studio's staff in its development phase, including Raymond, transferred to the new location from Ubisoft Montreal.[3] Key hires included producer Alexandre Parizeau and creative director Maxime Béland, who were brought on for the production of a new game in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series, and were considered co-founders of the studio alongside Raymond.[6][7] A second, smaller development team for an undisclosed project was headed up by Lesley Phord-Toy, and Rima Brek was put in charge of the studio's internal Technology Group.[6][8] By May 2010, Ubisoft Toronto had received more than 2,000 job applications.[7]

Ubisoft Toronto's offices were established from a former General Electric building in the Junction Triangle neighborhood of Toronto.[5][3] Ubisoft Toronto began operating in late 2009 and formally opened in September 2010.[9][10]

By March 2012, Ubisoft Toronto had grown to 200 people, and to 300 by September 2013.[9][10] By the latter, the studio had received 30,000 applications and given 1,800 job interviews.[10] In September 2012, Ubisoft Toronto received an internal performance capture studio.[11] The studio's debut project, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, was released in August 2013 to critical success.[4][10] Raymond left the studio and was succeeded as general manager by Parizeau.[12] By July 2015, Ubisoft Toronto was developing an original intellectual property (IP).[13] This game was later revealed to be Starlink: Battle for Atlas, an action-adventure game with optional toys-to-life integration.[14] The game was released in 2018 as the studio's first own IP.[15] As of July 2017, Ubisoft Toronto has 600 staff members.[16]

Near the end of June 2020 and into July 2020, a wave of accusations related to the MeToo movement swept through the video game industry, including several directed at some Ubisoft employees. Over one hundred employees of Ubisoft Toronto wrote to Parizeau in late June to report concerns related to sexual misconduct and the lack of action taken by management and human resources in response to their prior reports. Ubisoft announced it had investigated these reports, and in the case of Ubisoft Toronto, had requested studio co-founder Maxime Béland resign from the company. Speaking to Kotaku, some of these employees stated that there were still additional problems at the studio that went beyond Béland and they were still seeking signs of larger change from the studio and Ubisoft as a whole.[5] Parizeau left the company in February 2021 and was replaced by Istvan Tajnay, who had previously been the managing director for Ubisoft Berlin.[17]

In December 2021, it was announced that the studio was developing a remake of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002); reports on the project appeared earlier in October.[18] After 2 years, Tajnay left the company in July of 2023 and was replaced by Darryl Long, who had previously been the managing director for Ubisoft Winnipeg and Ubisoft Singapore.[19]

In June 2024, it was announced that Ubisoft Toronto would assist Ubisoft Montreal in the development of the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake.[20] Later that month, 33 employees were let go as part of a "targeted realignment to ensure it can deliver on its ambitious roadmap."[21]

## NEXT Competition

[edit]

Ubisoft Toronto NEXT (Formerly Ubisoft Toronto NXT Showcase) is an annual competition held by Ubisoft Toronto, aimed towards post secondary students and recent graduates.[22] The competition covers various job families and tasks students to complete a relevant submission that uses essential skills for the role, with the winner of each category being given an internship. As of the 2025 competition, 95 students have won internships at the studio.[22][23][24]

List of Past NEXT Winners  Year  | Category  | Winner  | School  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2018  | Model Art  | Armand Mech  | Sheridan College | [25]
2018  | Concept Art  | Dhenzel Obeng  | Max The Mutt College | [25]
2018  | Animation  | Duke Alphonse Sanchez  | Durham College | [25]
2018  | Programming  | Wesley Ducharme  | Niagara College | [25]
2019  | Animation  | Jacob LaFortune  | George Brown College | [26]
2019  | Concept Art  | Damir Musken  | Fanshawe College | [26]
2019  | Level Design  | Nathan Powless-Lynes  | Sheridan College | [26]
2019  | Modelling  | Dylan James Abernethy  | Durham College | [26]
2019  | Programming  | Jack Snopek  | McMaster University | [26]
2019  | User Interface  | Kogulan Sivaneshan  | University of Toronto | [26]
2020  | 3D Art  | Dong-Hoon Choi  | Centennial College | [27]
2020  | Animation  | Bruno Sampaio Leme Dias  | George Brown College | [27]
2020  | Concept Art  | David Mattiacci  | Toronto Film School | [27]
2020  | Level Design  | Sukhraj Johal  | Sheridan College | [27]
2020  | Programming  | Jacob Pratley  | Ontario Tech University | [27]
2020  | Technical Art  | Mohamad Salame  | Durham College | [27]
2020  | User Interface  | Shane Saxton  | Niagara College | [27]
2021  | 3D Art  | Maria Kniazieva  | Centennial College | [28]
2021  | Concept Art  | Sergi Iranzo  | Max The Mutt College | [28]
2021  | Technical Art  | Jessica Le  | Ontario Tech University | [28]
2021  | Cinematic Animation  | Yourim Kim  | Centennial College | [28]
2021  | Gameplay Animation  | Lavio Ribeiro Fidelis Neto  | Mohawk College | [28]
2021  | Level Design  | David De La Peña Frigolet  | Sheridan College | [28]
2021  | Programming  | Rob Savaglio  | Ontario Tech University | [28]
2022  | 3D Art  | Ryan Honey  | Durham College | [29]
2022  | Animation  | Yuxing Wang  | Sheridan College | [29]
2022  | Programming  | Victor Shi  | Western University | [29]
2022  | Level Design  | Camila Kukulski  | Sheridan College | [29]
2022  | Technical Art  | Yuan Chen  | Western University | [29]
2022  | Concept Art  | Jackson Kachun So  | George Brown College | [29]
2023  | 3D Art  | Melissa Friesen  | Durham College | [22]
2023  | Animation  | Xiangyu Chen  | Sheridan College | [22]
2023  | Concept Art  | Abhishek Arabind Das  | George Brown College | [22]
2023  | Game Design  | Junsu Jang  | Sheridan College | [22]
2023  | Level Design  | Ken Stevens  | Sheridan College | [22]
2023  | Programming  | Bijia Zhao  | Toronto Metropolitan University | [22]
2023  | UX Design  | Jay Lee  | University of Waterloo | [22]
2024  | 3D Art  | Yueran (Cassandra) Zhou  | Sheridan College | [23]
2024  | Animation  | Jonathan Chen  | Sheridan College | [23]
2024  | Concept Art  | Qiushi Jin  | Sheridan College | [23]
2024  | Game Design  | Tiago Massochin  | Sheridan College | [23]
2024  | Level Design  | Chris Russell Shantz  | Sheridan College | [23]
2024  | Programming  | Shaelynn Keiko Curran  | University of Toronto | [23]
2024  | Technical Art  | Jiahui Hu  | York University | [23]
2025  | 3D Art  | Anya Ng-Chee  | Centennial College | [24]
2025  | Animation  | Daylan Belsey  | Durham College | [24]
2025  | Concept Art  | Gabriel Fuentes  | George Brown College | [24]
2025  | Event Scripting  | Yun Yin (Joyce) Lin  | Sheridan College | [24]
2025  | Level Design  | Calvin Ip  | Sheridan College | [24]
2025  | Programming  | Ramy Zhang  | University of Toronto | [24]
2025  | Technical Animation  | Marcus Angelo Santos  | Carleton University | [24]
2025  | Technical Art  | Alexandro Di Nunzio  | York University | [24]
2025  | VFX  | Reyhan Ismail  | York University | [24]

## Games developed

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Platform(s)  | Notes  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2013  | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist | PlayStation 3, Wii U, Windows, Xbox 360 | —  | [4]
2018  | Far Cry 5 | PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One  | Developed in collaboration with Ubisoft Montreal  | [30]
Starlink: Battle for Atlas | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One  | —  | [14]
2020  | Watch Dogs: Legion | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Also developed the expansion pack Bloodline (2021)  | [31][32]
2021  | Far Cry 6 | Also developed the expansion pack Lost Between Worlds (2022)  | [33][34]
—  | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell | —  | A remake of the 2002 video game of the same name | [18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Fahey, Mike (6 July 2009). "Ubisoft Toronto Brings 800 Jobs To Ontario". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
2. ^ a b Thorsen, Tor (1 September 2009). "Jade Raymond heading up Ubisoft Toronto". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
3. ^ a b c Kumar, Mathew (25 May 2010). "Building On Conviction: Inside Ubisoft Toronto, Page 1 of 4". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
4. ^ a b c Dyer, Mitch (4 September 2013). "The Rise of Ubisoft Toronto: How a New Team Nailed its AAA Debut". IGN. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
5. ^ a b c Gach, Ethan (6 July 2020). "Ubisoft Employees Have 'Grave Concerns' Over Toronto Studio's Misconduct Allegations". Kotaku. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
6. ^ a b Kumar, Mathew (25 May 2010). "Building On Conviction: Inside Ubisoft Toronto, Page 2 of 4". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
7. ^ a b Kumar, Mathew (25 May 2010). "Building On Conviction: Inside Ubisoft Toronto, Page 3 of 4". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
8. ^ Kumar, Mathew (25 May 2010). "Building On Conviction: Inside Ubisoft Toronto, Page 4 of 4". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
9. ^ a b Weber, Rachel (8 March 2017). "Jade's Empire: Building Ubisoft's Super-Studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
10. ^ a b c d Sinclair, Brendan (6 September 2013). "How to build a AAA studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
11. ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (14 September 2012). "Ubisoft Opens New Performance Capture Studio". IGN. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
12. ^ Crecente, Brian (20 October 2014). "Ubisoft Toronto managing director Jade Raymond leaves company". Polygon. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
13. ^ Moser, Cassidee (14 July 2015). "Ubisoft Toronto is Working on a New AAA IP". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
14. ^ a b Takahashi, Dean (12 June 2017). "Ubisoft unveils Starlink video game with toys that attach to your controller". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
15. ^ Dring, Christopher (12 June 2017). "Ubisoft Toronto: "We can bring life back to toys-to-life"". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
16. ^ Sapieha, Chad (6 July 2017). "Ubisoft Toronto's big bet: A new spin on toy-based video games with Starlink". Financial Post. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
17. ^ Batchelor, James (3 February 2021). "Ubisoft Toronto appoints new managing director". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
18. ^ a b Good, Owen S. (15 December 2021). "A Splinter Cell remake is in development at Ubisoft Toronto". Polygon. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
19. ^ "Ubisoft appoints veteran managing directors for Toronto and Montpellier studios".
20. ^ Moon, Mariella (4 June 2024). "Ubisoft Toronto is helping out with the troubled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake". Engadget. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
21. ^ Chalk, Andy (28 June 2024). "Less than a month after joining work on the Sands of Time remake, Ubisoft Toronto lays off 33 employees 'to ensure it can deliver on its ambitious roadmap'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
22. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mehta, Mannat (12 May 2023). "Ubisoft Toronto NEXT 2023 Winners — Celebrating 10 Years of Supporting Student Talent in Ontario - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
23. ^ a b c d e f g h Chong, Erica (28 March 2024). "Ubisoft Toronto NEXT 2024 Winners — Celebrating Ontario's Student Talent in Game Dev - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Chong, Erica (27 March 2025). "Announcing the Winners of Ubisoft Toronto NEXT 2025 - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
25. ^ a b c d administrator (16 May 2018). "Congratulations to the 2018 NXT Showcase winners! - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
26. ^ a b c d e f administrator (9 May 2019). "The 2019 Ubisoft Toronto NEXT winners! - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
27. ^ a b c d e f g administrator (28 May 2020). "Ontario Post-Secondary Students Shine in the Ubisoft Toronto NEXT Challenge - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
28. ^ a b c d e f g administrator (20 May 2021). "Ontario students wow judges during the Ubisoft Toronto NEXT competition - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
29. ^ a b c d e f administrator (12 May 2022). "Ubisoft Toronto NEXT: 2022 Winners' Innovation, Imagination Impress Judges - Ubisoft Toronto". Retrieved 18 April 2025.
30. ^ Makuch, Eddie (26 May 2017). "Far Cry 5's First Trailer Reveals Release Date And American Doomsday Cult". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
31. ^ Carter, Justin (31 March 2023). "How Watch Dogs: Legion changed Ubisoft's narrative design". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
32. ^ Ruppert, Liana (16 July 2021). "Watch Dogs Legion: Bloodline Review — The Glorious Return Of Aiden Pearce And Wrench". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
33. ^ Fillari, Alessandro (12 July 2020). "Far Cry 6 Revealed, Here's Everything We Know About Ubisoft's Next Open-World Shooter". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
34. ^ "Celebrating the Launch of Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds". Ubisoft Toronto. 14 December 2022. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2024.

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